Thermostatically controlled valve



Aug. 8, 1944.

T. N. ADLAM TVHERMOSTATICALLY coNrRoLLED VALVE Fild Aprfil 13, 1 942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 8, 1944. T. N. ADLAM THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED VALVE Filed April 13, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. lim/ms NAP/ER /oL/w BY. I

ATTORNEYS A Patented Aug. 8, 1944 UNiTi-:o NSTAT l Y Thomas Napier Adlam, West Orange, NQJ., as-

signor to Sai-co Company, Inc.;'New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York f Application prix 1s, 1942, semi No. 438,747`^`v 2 claims. (cinese-en i v of the' thermo-sensitive uid on'the valve to pro;

This invention relates vto automatic means for controlling the temperature of a heat exchange medium supplied toa heat exchanger inl accordance with temperature requirements by regulat ing the ow of the medium to the exchanger from two sources, one normally above and the other normally below the temperature of the medium in the exchahiger. A Y

The invention comprehends means 'for control'- ling the temperature of a heat exchange medium to the exchanger by proportioning and blending relative amounts of the medium from two sources,

' from two` h'ot water supplies, one normally 'at a higher temperature than the other together with one normally above and the other normally below j the temperature ofthe medium in the exchanger or from either one of said sources in accordance mined temperature and which means is automatically actuated by thermostatic means re'- sponsive both to outside and inside temperature conditions. The means for controlling the temperature of the medium owing to the exchanger includes a valve `controlled bythe thermostatic means which acts upon the lvalve steinv to -vary the port openings to proportion -the relative amounts of the medium from' saidsources and l which thermostatic means is actuated by a l'therino-sensitive fluid in communication throughconduits with terminal chambers, one located outside l the enclosure `containing the exchanger and subject to outside temperature conditions and the to temperature conditions therein, .the thermosensitive uid in said terminal chambers also. being in communication with each other whereby -changeof pressure in either one: of said chambersis transmitted to the other and to the valve The invention is applicable to hot water heating systems for controlling the temperature of the water supplied to the radiators by regulating the iiow of hot water thereto by means of" said admit hot water either from the boiler or from the return main or which' proportions and blends the water from said vsources in accordance with 30 other located within said enclosure and subject 35 i taken" approximately on. the line 2-.2v of Flag.

' t e\' thermostatic .element located,V within the -valve and.l illustrating the opposite ends thereof broken A automatically'lcontrolled valve which functions to temperature requirements.. In such installations s one of the terminal chambersof the thermostatic meansis located outside the |building softhat the,

thermofsensitive uid therein is sub'jectitoI outside temperature conditions; while the other ter'- mnal chamber-.is located. within the building.

the

whereby the thermo-sensitive uidin'said termivditions and is responsive to] the' requirement nal chamber is subject .to inside temperature conwith requirements for maintainingv a predeter- .y

vide a; more constant' temperaturewithinthe building under all temperature conditions within and without the building and a more efilcient operation oi' the 'heating system.'

The invention further comprehendsa valve of the indicated character provided with a thermostatically actuated' piston for controlling the movement of a valve' element. to proportion the relative amounts of water admitted to the valve' means for .varying the extent of movement of the valve element in relation to the 'extent of movement of the piston. i

The invention .further resides in a room thermostat adapted to be" set for actuation at any desired predetermined room temperature tov close and open an electrical circuit containing means for heating theroom terminal chamber to thereby rapidly heat the thermo-sensitive fluid therein to a temperature above that ofthe room so as l to elect by the expansion of the uid a rapidA actuation of the valve inresp'onsetemperature requirements within the room.

With the foregoing and other objectsinview, reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which there is illustrated thevprefer'redform'ot the invention. Inthe drawings: t 'Fig'. 1 is a diagrammatic'view of a valve and thermostat means' constructed in `accordance with vthe invention andillustrating the valvel being shown in longitudinal section.

Fig. `2 is a detail transverse; sectional view'- Fig. 3 is an enlarged side'A elevation 'of away* and shown 'in-section. l

.Fig 4 is an enlarged diagrammatic viewv illustrating the room thermostat connected with electric means Vfor'heanng the inside teniiinai -cnamy,

ber which is shown in section. Referring to the drawingsby characters of reierence,- .the valve for controlling the temperature a valve body il having inlets I2 and I3v adapted return` main thereto, the water in the latter being at a lower temperature than v the water from, the heating umn l M The inlets I2 and 'I3 havecommunication withthereiny and which function to vary the pressure 55 in the'body Il through aligned valve ports vHand of hot water supplied to a heat exchanger' includes l for connection with two sourcesof supply such the hot. water main froma heating unit and.

I with a mixing chamber I6 centrally offset with Y reference to said ports and provided with a mixed water outlet |1vleading from the chamber and adapted for connection with piping to the heat exchanger. The valve ports |4 and 5 have confronting valve seats `I6 and |9 and disposed therebetween for movement towards and away from said seats is a double faced valve disk having oppositely projecting valve stems 2| and 22 slid ably mounted respectively in guide openings 23 and 24 in the partition wall 25 of the body I| and in the spider 26 of a nipple 21 threadedly engaged in an opening in the body and defining the inlet I2.

fvided with heads 3| and 32 at its opposite ends,

the latter having secured thereto an extensible and collapsible sealing tube 33 extending longitudinally within the shell 3|) and which has'its free end closed by a piston head 34 to which is l secured a piston 35 having'its free end protruding through an opening 36 in the head 32 of the shell. The shell is centrally disposed within the mixing chamber I6 and the sealing tube 33 is centrally arranged within the shell 30 in spaced relation to the wall thereof so as to dispose the piston 35 in offset relation to the axis. of the valve disk 20 and which shell contains a thermo-sensitive fluid acting upon the piston head 34 for ef- 40 fecting by increase of pressure in said fluid due to expansion thereof movement of the Apiston 35 towards the valve disk.

In order to provide means for varying the extudinally of and in spaced relation to the wall` of the groove 46 and engages the threaded opening 50'in the block 39. The outer en d of the .screw 41 protrudes'outwardly through a packing gland 5| and screw plug'52 with its protruding 'vend provided with a milled head 53 fory engagement by a tool for swivelly turning the screw, the

head 53 being covered by a removable screw cap 54. '5

The thermostatic element 28 is mounted for guided sliding movement towards and away from the lever 31 and is held in spaced relation with the Wall of the mixing chamber |6 by circumferentially spaced radially arranged lugs 56 which engage the tubular shell 30 adjacent the inner end thereof, while the opposite end portion of said shell is provided with a collar 51 and has its outer end protruding through an opening 58 in a screw cap 59 .which is seated-on the collar 51 and engages the threaded end of the-valve body II'for selectively adjusting the thermostatic element 29 to actuate the valve disk 2|) at any desired predetermined temperature. A coiled expansion spring 60 surrounds the shell 30 and is interposed between a packing gland 6| and the collar 51 for maintaining the collar in engagement-with the screw cap59.

The thermostatic means also includes two bulbs 63 and 64 defining terminal chambers therein which are in communication with the fluid chamber `within the tubular shell 30 by conduits 65 and 66 having a' iine bore vand connected to the ends of the bulbs 63 and 64 respectively and to the head 3| of the tubular shell. The bulb 63 is designed to be located within the enclosure containing the exchanger and subject to the temperature conditions within vthe enclosure, while the bulb B4 is tent of movement of thevalve disk 20 -in relation 45 designed to be located outside the said enclosure to themovement of the piston 35, a lever 31 is provided which is fulcrumed intermediate its length between bearing pins 36 carried by a bifurcated block 39 to dispose the inner end portion of the lever between the piston 35 and valve stem 50 2| with the piston and valve stem. engaging opposite sides thereof at longitudinally spaced points. The block 39 is slldable longitudinally of the lever in a guide groove 4|! of a bracket 4| for varying the fulcrum point thereof and the dis- 55 tances between the fulcrum point and the points of engagement of the piston 35 and the valve stem 2| with the lever. The lever 31 is permitted to rock but is retained against axial movement by a pin 42 engaging a slotted portion of the bracket 60 4| :Ihe bracket 4| is secured by bolts 43 to therP `'valve body adjacent the opening 44 in the side wall thereof, the inner angulated portion of the bracket protruding into the casing through the said opening, while the opposite portion thereof extends outwardly therefrom to thereby dispose f and subject to outside temperature conditions and said bulbs and conduits 65 and 66 are filled with the thermo-sensitive fluid which acts upon the piston 35 to move the valve disk 2U. The terminal chambers within the bulbs 63 and 64 being in communication with each other through -the conduit 65`and 66 and with' the fluid chamber'in the tubular shell, any change of pressure in the fluid due to change in temperature within the enclosure or outside thereof, or due to the temperature of the water in the mixing chamber I6 causing the uid in the tubular shell 30 and in the terminal chambers in the bulbs 63 and 64 i to expand or contract will be transmitted to the piston 35 and to the valve disk 20.

In order to provide means for effecting a rapid actuation of the valve disk 20 when the temperature within the enclosure rises above a predetermined degree, the bulb 63 is provided with a plug 69 extending longitudinally thereof and whichA which heating coil is adapted to' heat the fluid in the said bulb to thereby cause an increased expansion of pressure therein which isl transmitted to the piston 35 thereby move thevalve disk 2li towards the hot water port andawayfrom the return water port which results in admitting to the mixing chamber and thence to the ex- *changer a greater proportion of water from the' return main in relation to the hot water from the 'boiler or the closingjentirely of the hot water building and maintain- 'a constant temperature under substantially all outside temperature conditions. For instance, a suddendrop in the outside temperature results in thev movement of the 5 f'ialve diskA so as to admit to the radiator a relaport and the recirculating of the return water onlythrough the exchanger. 'f The heating coil 69 is connected in an electric circuit with a source of current supply by conductor lwires 12 and 13 .which are'respectively connected-to terminal posts 14 and 15, the contively greater proportion of hot wai'e;- from Kthe boiler which may result in overheating of the v. building due to the fact that the heat lloss thereductorwire 12 being connected by the conductor wire 1B to a variablev resistance 11 and by a conductor wire -1li to a-fixed resistance 19 and thence I by a conductorwire-,80 to one side of the heating coil 69.. The conductor wire 13 from the post 15 is connected by means of a conductor :wire tl to one'of the' leads 82 of a make and break spring contact switch 63, the opposite lead 84 thereof `being connected` by a conductor wire `85 to a `ter-v minal post 66 and' from thence by a conductor wire 81. to the opposite side of the coil 69 to therebyplace lin series with the coil the variable resistance 11, the ilxed resistance 19 and the make and break contact switch 83.

^ The switch 83 is actuated to close the contacts 82 and 84 thereof and thereby clovse thecircult to` from is not as rapid as the fall in' the outside temperature. If a rise in temperature is produced within the building above the predetermined setting of the dial 90, expansion vof the fluid in the bellows 89 effects the closing of the switch 83 and thereby theheating of the coil 69. I

'Ihis producesA an increase inl pressure in the bulb 63 which is transmitted tothe piston head- I4 to thereby move the valve dis'k 20 to admit to edly engaging a fixed post 92 for adjustment of the bellows towards and away from a:lever 93 for effecting actuation of the switch at a prede-A termined temperature, Y

The lever 93 is mounted for rocking lmovement on a xed fulcrum 94 intermediate its length so as to dispose one eind of the lever in the path pf movement of the bellows 89 and the opposite end of the leverin position to engage the 'contact all to thereby close the switch upon expansion of the uid'in the bellows 89, the switch a3 being normally maintained in open relation by the outward tension of the spring leads thereof.

In operation in a heatingrsystem the outside bulb 65 being subject to outside temperature conditions, a rise in outside temperature increases -the pressure of the fluid in the bulb which is transmitted to the piston head 34 to thereby move the piston 35 to yforce the valve disk'z laway e from the port I5 andtowards the port I4. This -admits to the mixing chamber I6 ofthe valveV and thence to the heat exchanger, a greater proportion of water from/the return main in relatin to the hotter water from the water heater so as to lower the temperature of the water passing through the exchanger. A drop in the outside temperature produces a decrease in the pressure on the piston head 34 permitting the spring 29 to move the .valve disk 20 away from the port i 4 and towards the port I6 so'v as to admit to the mixing chamber I6 a greater proportion of hot water from the water heaterin relation to the amount of water admitted 'from the return main which results in an increase of the temperatureof the water flowing to the heat exchanger.

Since there is a lag between 'changes in outside Vtemperature conditions and the temperature in the building, control of the valve bythe outside bulb 64 may result in the temperature in the building becoming too warm. The bulb 63 iis,

therefore, .provided to control the valve so as to ease oif excessive changes in temperature in the the exchanger a greater proportion -of water4 from the return main in relation to the hotter l water from the water heater ol' a complete closing of the hot water port andthe lrecirculation of the return water only to the exchanger to thereby provide. a -checl; upon the. outside control and a more even temperature in the building and .consequently a more eillcient operation of the heating system..

The conductor wire 16 is adjustably connected with the resistance 11 in order to varythe -resistance in circuit with the coil 69 and thereby regulate the heat supplied to the bulb 63 in accordance with` the requirement of the particular y installation.

. The bulb 64 is shielded by a`\reector 96 which is spaced therefrom andis open at' its ends to permit circulation of air about the bulb and -which shield reilects and shields the bulb from the rays of the sun.

What is claimed is: ,s l. In a thermostatically controlled valve having inlet ports for admitting heat exchange me- .opposite directions towards and away from said ports respectively, a thermostatic element disposed in said chamber and having a piston mounted therein for moving the valve element in one direction, an expansion spring engaging said valve element for moving the same inthe opposite direction, a lever mounted f or rocking movement and engaged by the piston and valve element on opposite sides thereof at longitudinally spaced points, means for varying the fulcrum point of said lever longitudinally'thereof so as to vary the extent of movement of the valve ele.- ment in relation to the movement of the piston, control bulbs dening terminal chambers and conduits connecting lsaid bulbs to said thermostatic element for establishing' communication between the terminal chambers 'and with the in-` terior of the thermostatic element, said thermostatic element and said bulbs containing a ther- `mo,sensltive fluid .for controlling the movement of the piston and valve element by expansion and contraction of the fluid due to temperature changes occurring at the location of the bulbs andin the mixed medium inthe mixing chamber, a heating element for one of said bulbs, an electric switch anda thermostatfadapted tol be set for actuation of said switch at a predetermined temperatre, and means electrically connecting said switch'to said heating element for lheating the fluid within the said last mentioned `lrulbvvhen the temperature surrounding said thermostat exceeds the predetermined degree set on' said ther'- mostat.

'varying the fulcrum point of said lever so as to vary the extent of movement of the valve elelment in relation to the movement oi the piston, thermocontrol bulbs connected with the thermostat o! said thermostatically controlled piston fpr controlling the movement of said piston and valve element in accordance with temperature changes occurring at the location of said bulbs, a heating element for one of said bulbs, an electric switch and a thermostat adapted to be set for actuation of said switch at a predetermined temperature, and means electrically connecting said switch to said heating element for'heating said last mentioned bulb when the temperature surrounding said thermostat exceeds the predetermined l degree set on said thermostat.

e THOMAS NAPIER ADLAM. 

